Fishing Spruce Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Spruce Lake lies in Oneida County, in Wisconsin. The bank is 1,591 feet above sea level. About 5 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Oneida County standards. The town to know is Rhinelander, 4.9 miles out. Tomahawk is 14 miles away, with Nashville at 24 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Spruce Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Oneida County cover brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Spruce Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 10°F and July at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Spruce Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Green Bass Lake, 0.3 miles out. Ask locally about Spruce Lake if anything is unclear.